The U.S. is reviving three decommissioned nuclear plants to power data centers, with tech giants like Google and Microsoft securing carbon-free energy.
Restarting old nuclear plants
The United States is trying to restart three old nuclear power plants to meet growing energy needs, especially from large data centers. The Department of Energy is offering a loan of up to 4.4 billion dollars to bring back 2.25 gigawatts of electricity production from these plants.Plants chosen for revival
The plants in question are the Palisades plant in Michigan, the Crane Clean Energy Center on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. These plants had closed before their operating licenses expired, mainly because their electricity was too expensive at the time.Tech companies invest in nuclear energy
Major technology companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are increasingly using nuclear energy to power their data centers. These centers require vast amounts of electricity for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, and their energy use is growing rapidly.Nuclear energy's advantages
Nuclear energy offers a stable, continuous, and carbon-free power source, which is more reliable than some renewable energy sources. Restarting old reactors is seen as a faster and cheaper option compared to building new ones, according to nuclear engineering expert Todd Allen.Iowa plant faces challenges
The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, which was damaged in a severe storm called a "derecho" in 2020, is being worked on by NextEra Energy. The company and Google plan to restart the plant by early 2029, despite the damage it suffered.Palisades plant nears restart
The Palisades plant, which operated from 1971 to 2022, was bought by Holtec International. The company has begun loading nuclear fuel, a key step toward restarting the plant. However, the process was paused after a fuel assembly tilted, requiring further investigation.Safety concerns raised
Microsoft has signed a contract with the Crane Clean Energy Center on Three Mile Island, the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in the U.S. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists warned that safety risks should be addressed before using taxpayer money to restart these aging plants.Aging infrastructure and climate risks
Most U.S. nuclear power plants were built between 1970 and 1990, and they may not be fully prepared for today’s more extreme weather events caused by climate change. Lyman said that if safety standards are met and funding is provided, these plants could be restarted, but that is not the case at present.
